Saturday, June 27, 2009

Live Blogging The Nationwide Series On ABC From Loudon, NH

Allen Bestwick starts the racing day on ABC at 2:30PM ET with NASCAR Countdown. Loudon, NH is the venue for the Nationwide Series this weekend and the race is a flat-track sprint.

Bestwick is joined this week by Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty from the Infield Pit Studio. Wallace is back to the infield-only this week because Dale Jarrett returns to the broadcast booth.

Jarrett is joined by Marty Reid and Andy Petree for this telecast. This will be a good indicator of just how this crew will handle the Sprint Cup Series when it comes to ESPN and ABC in July. Loudon is a key venue for The Chase.

Pictures and sound should be outstanding and indications are that there is going to be a very good crowd on-hand. TV viewers should look for the continuing issue of triple-split video on caution flag pit stops. This is going to be crucial as much of the passing is going to take place while cars leave pit road. ESPN has been having trouble keeping the triple-split in place for the entire stop until all the cars are racing to the pit exit line.

Reid should be in fine form with Jarrett back in the booth. Jarrett has been great this season and Reid has the veteran ability to provide the kind of excitement that some of the ESPN telecasts have been lacking. Jarrett returning might be exactly what the ESPN team needs right now to get the momentum going for July.

ESPN will not be able to focus on the normal script of Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards vs. the Nationwide regulars this Saturday. Lots of Sprint Cup Series drivers are crossing-over for this race and several flat-track specialists are also in the event.

It should be interesting to see what stories Bestwick introduces as possible race scenarios and then how Reid and company continue those storylines. Look for whether the ESPN crew interviews the drivers who have fallen out of the race. This has been a tough issue for the network this season.

Also important to watch are the stories that are unplanned. A driver coming up through the field, a favorite with a bad pit stop and a battle for position not in the top five are things that fans want to see that sometimes do not make it to the TV set.

This post will serve to host your comment about the coverage of the Nationwide Series race from Loudon, NH on ABC. To add your TV-related comments, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, so please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for taking the time to stop by.

168 comments:

Also important to watch are the stories that are unplanned. A driver coming up through the field, a favorite with a bad pit stop and a battle for position not in the top five are things that fans want to see that sometimes do not make it to the TV set.

I'm not holding my breath that I'll see any of this. You're such an optimist.

And I'll bring this up - during NW qualifying, the reporters interviewed much more cup drivers than the full time NW racers so that doesn't bode well for the broadcast. I hope it doesn't turn into the Carl & Kyle show.

Woke up from my afternoon nap by Rusty Wallace hammering on Kyle Busch. Boy is he one to talk, he was the biggest whiner ever. I've watched Rusty since his ASA days back in '78. I always wondered if he was related to the Andretti's.

Right away there's a difference in PBP.....Marty was observant to notice the damage on the #6 car, and gave them a conversation piece. JP may have seen it, but I seriously doubt he would've mentioned it.

i loved doc punch as a pit reporter, but this racecast already so far has a much better (and positive) vibe with more energy from the booth. I don't think JP doesn't get excited, I think his tone or something just doesn't translate it well. I've always felt the best TV guys are those that came from MRN, AB and Mike Joy as the two most high profile. They have no visual help, so they must generate the excitement, and that carries over nicely to TV. In my opinion that makes AB and MJ the top tier broadcasters, with Weber and Reid second, and unfortunatelty guys like JP a distant third (though I still say he was awesome in the pits in his old ESPN days)

Just caught up to real time on my Tivo. Amazing the difference Marty Reid brings to the booth isn't it? Miss him on the NHRA broadcasts but man it would be great to hear him do this full time.

The audio is really distracting. Watching it now on OTA HD and it's as noticeable as it was on DirecTV SD. I remember someone on here last year saying that the audio engineers were still learning how to mix the sound for HD and that it would be a long process.

Come on folks give Kyle some love. If you hit the zillion dollar lottery and started your own cup team. You need a driver, Kyle is available would you hire him? Or maybe someone like Casey Mears he's a real nice guy, doesn't win but a nice guy.

Just tuned in...pet peeve with the cut away stops. Andy...did not know that a changer could knock lug nuts off the tire....I think the carrier should get some heat in that situation too for slamming the tire on...

Can the person who hooks up the mic on Rusty put a shock thing in it that pops him every time he says "I tell you what"? Please? I'll pay for a night on the town when they come down to Fort Worth in the fall if they do.

Yes I just saw a tweet about Brad's teams...hmmmmmmm....Tony's doing well so if they do go and Marcos goes should be in good hands :). Hopefully with the Hendrick connection the R&D will come from Hendrick and they won't make Marcos R&D :(

Im with you Dot. Only way I see them jumping is because they would have a locked in spot with the #47, maybe...and if they landed Keslowski and GoDaddy money to supplement them. Little Debbie's is staying with MA I am fairly certain wherever he goes.

Very excited about MWR's announcements cant wait to see them introduce Martin as the driver of the NAPA car for 2010

2 weeks eh? Well, well well. Pockrass said he was talking to Racer X (Truex) and asked if he had anything to announce. And Racer X said no, but held up 2 fingers. And Pockrass read that to be 2 weeks and with the hot and heavy rumors of Racer X going to Mikey :)

Good broadcast from ABC - I think AP had more input than DJ. And another thing I thought having the cup drivers in the race brought fans to the race - didn't look like it to me today anyway. Funny comment by Speed.

Well JD, this is Scott Speeds MO. I knew guys that worked on ARCA teams last year who hated the guy because he just drove over anyone or anything that was in his way. Basically acted like a driver who doesn't realize how much work goes into a car and such.

So his interview doesn't surprise me.

Good post-race from Joey though...I think he is most certainly winning people over week after week.

Hey guys, only caught the last 30 laps of the race, but I must say, that as much as Vickers is frustrated and as much as it stinks that your teammate wrecks you for fifth. Imagine how it must feel when you get wrecked by your teammate for the win. I guess Brian can go ask Jimmie how to handle these types of teammate situations now, since it was Brian who wrecked JJ and Jr. back at Talledega in '06.

From what I saw of the race good coverage. It was excellent to see when they did go to the infield 3 they at least didn't cut from the racing. That is a big help when you are trying to watch a race and not just watch 3 people talk about the race then going to 3 people covering the race. Good coverage in the booth. Marty is great. Awesome in NHRA and nice to see him bring his game on to the race.

Should we be that surprised though JD. ESPN doesn't promote the MLB on FOX, NFL on FOX or CBS. They don't promote anything not on their own family of networks.

Its a shame because NASCAR used to be an exception. At least on RPM2Night they would promote the full motorsports calendar, and used to show you a schedule of the next month during the race with the network the race would be on.

I get kinda tired of hearing how everything is "for the fans!" yet none of these networks bother listening to some of the things that really are important.